For anyone who knows what its like to move, it is hard enough to move within town, but to make a major relocation, it really helps to have someone working with you that you can trust and depend on. In this posting, you'll find some ideas that will help you with your relocation move to the San Jose, CA area.

First off, you need someone you can rely on, who is punctual, and who returns phone calls. You are making a big move here, and you need to count on someone for assistance.

You need an individual who knows the housing market you are moving to well. I think this is even more important than when working with someone in your local area. If they don't, how can they really advise you, or help you get the information you need about an area you don't know? Do they know their market conditions (buyer vs. seller's market) and how things are selling? Do they know about the homes for sale? This will help them to understand YOUR situation and the issues you are facing. And if they themselves have relocated, so much the better.

Even though I grew up in San Jose, I moved to Colorado for college and moved even more afterwards. I've made in-town moves, in-state and interstate moves. In all, I've lived in 7 states and have moved 15 times. I've done the corporate relocation move, the U-Haul move, within the complex move, etc. You name it, I've done it.

Relocating to a new home is exciting, but stressful. And timing issues can complicate the process. Make sure you plan ahead, to the extent possible, and develop contingency arrangements in case things do not go according to your master plan. Pay attention to the dates that are set, but also expect that some may need to change, either due to your personal situation or others (such as your movers changing the scheduled move date). Expect that Murphy's Law may pay you a visit so you won't be too surprised. I know that in my own 15 moves there were always things that did not quite go according to plan. Being flexible and having other plans, is critical.

You will want to feel a certain level of comfort, and a personal chemistry. But you will also want to feel that the person you are talking with REALLY wants to help you and is committed to doing so. They need to have your interests are heart and to work on your behalf. After all, you are the client. And if you are a first time buyer, this is even more important.

You will need to plan some house hunting trips to find your new home. Will this agent help you with that? What will they actually do for you? Set up tours? Pre-screen homes? What can you expect when you get to your new location for your house hunting trip? Can they devote a day or two, or more, to your home search?

Finally, once you have identified the home, and perhaps made an offer, there is lots of work to be done. Do you feel you can trust this person to handle things in your absence, to keep you informed at all times, answer questions, and assist in problem solving? Remember that paperwork needs to flow back and forth by fax, e-mail or snail mail -- is this person comfortable doing that? And keeping you aware of all needed disclosures and other documents unique to your new home state is just a part of the job.

It's a big task to find the right agent for you, but asking the right questions and making sure you have good chemistry with the agent will make for a smoother transition. Happy relocating!

Almost every day when I run into someone and we start talking about real estate or someone from my past finds out that I'm working as a Realtor, I feel as if I've just walked into a funeral. I hear about how rough the economy is and all about foreclosures/short sales and falling home values that they've heard about on the news. Now I can relate to the news. I worked in broadcasting for several years. Without murders, suicides, war, destructive weather, sickness and a bad economy, they would pretty much be out of business. You won't find too many stories on the news with a happy ending. It happens, just not that often.

But one good story that local news outlets are not reporting on is that real estate in Silicon Valley up the peninsula towards San Francisco is faring pretty well despite national trends. According to a Business Week article that printed on July 10, 2008, job growth in the technology sector along with some of the highest salaries in the nation have helped this area buck the trends that have befallen many other California communities. Median home prices in prime areas of Silicon Valley are "plus or minus 5%" compared to a year ago, according to Kenneth Rosen, chairman of the Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economies at UC Berkeley. Commercial real estate is even stronger. Apartment rents climbed 5% to 10% in the first quarter compared to a year ago, he says.

With limited land to build on, a great economy and fantastic weather, people continue to make this area their home. At an open house that I hosted in Santa Clara this past weekend, I had several people who came thru the property who were ready to buy. It's a smart move. Interest rates are at historic lows and are forecasted to rise later this year.. Add in some price reductions on properties and you have a recipe for a great deal for homebuyers. Just remember the next time you are watching the news, every real estate market is different. In fact, in the SF Bay Area there are several micro-markets. And while many out there aren't doing so well, the Silicon Valley market is still one of the best in the nation to invest in.